The Icelandic professional figure skater has been a fan of CBD creams and topicals for almost two years now, ever since he discovered them as a natural, non-addictive alternative to help his body cope with the rigors of professional skating. “It’s a more holistic way for athletes to recover,” he said.
A tough battle with opioids: Opioid-free since 2015, Hafsteinsson takes us back to the beginning of his journey and how his perspective on recovery changed thanks to CBD.
It all started when he was 13, he said, when he broke his ankle during a skating session. His doctors prescribed codeine for the pain.
“My parents were from Iceland, and they were like, ‘Oh, that’s what the doctor gave us, and that’s what you’re supposed to take, so go ahead and take it,’ without any education.” And that’s how I got into drug addiction,” he explained.
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Although the prescription medication produced the desired results, many more injuries were imminent. The battle with pain was far from over.
“Back then, they were prescribing pills by the hundreds… After years of using them for recovery, it took a toll on my life (not just my skating life, but my personal life) to the point where I was addicted to them.”
“Back then, they were prescribing pills by the hundreds,” he recalls. “I broke my ankle four times, my elbow, my wrist… So, it was like every other year, I’d be sucked into that opiate prescription loophole… After years of using them for recovery, it took a toll on my life (not just my skating life, but my personal life) to the point where I was addicted.”
Discovering Cannabinoids!
It wasn’t until a particularly severe gallbladder infection landed David in the hospital that he discovered CBD. And it was none other than his own mother, Ester Vigil, president of 1933 Industries, who introduced him to the complex—against the doctors’ orders.
“They had me on an IV drip of Fentanyl… I hadn’t used opioids in three and a half years. Within 15 hours, my heart rate had dropped to 25-30 BPM… The opioids had triggered a cardiac arrest; my heart was practically stopping,” he recalls.It was at this crucial moment that Mom came to the rescue.
“They told me I couldn’t use CBD, but she knew what was best for me, so she gave it to me anyway, and they discharged me within 24 hours.” My gallbladder had shrunk, my heart rate had returned to normal… CBD kind of saved my life.
“CBD kind of saved my life.”
Author’s Note: The above is not intended as medical advice. It is nothing more than a personal experience. Readers should be advised not to stop taking their medication unless a doctor tells them to!
And a Long Battle Too
The battle against the harmful side effects of opioids wasn’t over for David.
Even after completely stopping the medication, withdrawal wouldn’t be easy. And, while there’s certainly no magic formula for overcoming withdrawal, David would, once again, find salvation, a hero of sorts, in CBD. Topical cannabis creams and solutions are known to most as a method for relieving muscle pain. However, applying them to your stomach during withdrawal periods can significantly help you in the fight, David assured.
“Most withdrawal symptoms originate in your stomach… If you were used to taking pills, then your stomach lining will be the part of your body that suffers the most.” David’s personal experience with CBD eventually led him to create his own company in the space under the 1933 umbrella.
And so, Canna Hemp X was born, primarily focused on the skateboarding community, which David believed would be more likely to respond positively to this alternative.
This was also part of the launch strategy for his company, Canna Hemp X, which offered only one product throughout its first year. The aim was to maintain the focus on a non-intoxicating approach to recovery. “We pride ourselves on the fact that our products don’t get you high; they are strictly for medicinal purposes,” he added.
And he has certainly been successful so far with this approach to bringing pure, medical-grade CBD products into the skating community, especially after aligning himself with skateboarding legend Tony Hawk on Instagram.
Professional skater David Hafsteinsson
MONACO, – February 18, 2019: Laureus Academy member Tony Hawk signs the wall during the 2019 Laureus World Sports Awards on February 18, 2019 in Monaco, Monaco. (Photo by Christian Alminana/Getty Images for Laureus)
“Once I started posting about Canna Hemp X on Instagram, we got some huge influencers. Tony Hawk was one of them, and I started talking to him,” David said.
Those conversations would eventually turn into a partnership. Hawk would launch its CBD line, Birdhouse, under Canna Hemp X, in 2019.
Unlike others, David and Tony’s products are entirely THC-free.
“Tony has a huge, kid-friendly crowd… I have a fairly broad audience, and 40% of them are under 21, which is why I stick strictly to CBD and try to be a positive influence,” he concluded.
Javier Hasse
The CBD.FR team sincerely thanks Javier Hasse for writing this fascinating article on the benefits of CBD for athletes! Javier Hasse is a young cannabis-focused writer and author of “Start Your Own Cannabis Business” (Entrepreneur Media, 2018), which reached #1 on Amazon.
